


Lions and Pebbles and Penguins, Oh my!

by fuzzytomato



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Attack, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Zoo, gay penguins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-20
Updated: 2010-05-20
Packaged: 2017-10-24 18:24:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzzytomato/pseuds/fuzzytomato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>  Sitting at the top of "Uther's All Time Parenting Backfires" is Arthur's fellow colleague and clumsy best friend - Merlin Emrys.Written for the kink_me prompt of: Arthur and Merlin as penguins, based on <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/04/penguins.html">this article</a> w/c is basically about 2 male penguins who paired off and raised an egg successfully. original post <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/kinkme_merlin/10136.html?thread=7543448#t7543448">here</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It is a well known fact that Arthur loves his job. He considers it the second best thing that has ever happened to him, which is ironic since his father considers it the worst thing that Arthur has ever done. On Arthur’s list of “Uther Pendragon’s All Time Parenting Backfires,” his current job as head of the African Animals department at the city’s largest zoo currently ranks as number two.

It is also a well known fact that Uther Pendragon does not like that his son actually works for a living _with his hands_. He had aspired Arthur to become a businessman, like himself, or if he had to do something outrageously different then he could’ve been a lawyer, but no, Arthur had to become a zookeeper. (At this point, Arthur always politely reminds his father that he has a PhD in Zoology and doesn’t actually run around all day cleaning up animal poop.)

It’s all Uther’s fault anyway. When Arthur was 15 years old, Uther decided it was high time he have a job and learn some financial responsibility. Uther had made it abundantly clear that he wanted Arthur to fully appreciate his privilege and as such got him a summer internship at the nearby zoo. He was hoping that a summer of shoveling shit would make Arthur appreciate the finer things that his father’s wealth could afford.

It completely backfired. Yes, Arthur did spend much of his time knee deep in elephant dung, but he also got to bathe the elephants, and he helped feed the lion cubs and he helped nurse an injured giraffe back to health. It was the best summer of his life. And that began Arthur’s love affair with African animals and led to his current job as head of that department.

It was also that summer in which Uther managed number 3 on Arthur’s list of “All Time Parenting Backfires.” In an effort to ensure that Arthur would not be ensnared by some debutant while still in his young (pubescent) years, Uther sent Arthur to an all boys boarding school. It was there that Arthur received the education that Uther wanted and one that he was sure Uther had not intended. Arthur had already begun to realize differences in his burgeoning sexuality from that of his friends, and being thrust into close contact with several hundred other boys was a prime opportunity to explore them. Unlike his job, he did not flaunt that in his father’s face, much. He left that to Morgana and her girlfriend Vivian, and when Uther would walk in on them mid-make out he would often storm away muttering about that _damn all girls school_.

Though both his job and his sexuality where very important aspects to Arthur, neither topped the list. Before both number 2 and number 3, Uther had sat Arthur down and lectured him on the importance of mingling with individuals of his own station. He was to make friends with the affluent children and Uther often arranged play dates for Arthur when he was a child. At this point in his life, Arthur is wholly convinced that if he had a wider social circle through childhood and school, then he would not be completely and utterly infatuated with a certain colleague. He would not be mesmerized by the completely graceless oddity that is the head of the Arctic Animals department.

Sitting at the top of “Uther’s All Time Parenting Backfires” is Arthur’s fellow colleague and clumsy best friend – Merlin Emrys.

OOO

It isn’t that Arthur is pining over Merlin, not at all, but if Merlin were available and so inclined, Arthur would be the first in line. He already knows they get along well. They spend time together almost every day despite their respective habitats being clear across the park from each other, and Arthur likes to think that Merlin searches him out almost as much as Arthur does Merlin.

Their first meeting had been inauspicious at best. Arthur had mistaken Merlin for one of the summer interns (he had looked way too young and underdressed to be a department head) and had asked Merlin to fetch him some coffee. Arthur had gotten coffee, poured into his desk chair and since then, they’d become fast friends.

It helps that Merlin always has an easy grin pasted to his face and that he is as kind to the visitors as he is to the animals in his domain. Merlin has been known to sleep in the office when one of the animals is sick to ensure they were being taken care of and Merlin is the most requested speaker when it comes to school groups visiting. Arthur has seen Merlin’s long pale fingers complete tasks from the mundane (pat an excited child on the head) to the gross (covered in fish from feeding the penguins), to the selfless (pink tinged, raw, from keeping his hands in the cold water too long to try and fix a habitat to specifications).

It is just Merlin’s nature to be wildly endearing; and selfless to a fault; and utterly guileless; and oblivious to the fact that he is peculiarly gorgeous; and dammnit Arthur is not _pining_.

So it is with no fluttering in his stomach, or building excitement when, on a Monday morning, Arthur sits at his desk and finds an email from Merlin in his inbox. It is titled “Bad News” and Arthur wonders if Merlin finally figured out that the non fat frozen yogurt in the cafeteria isn’t exactly non fat. He clicks it open.

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: Bad News

Freya and I broke up. Also, I have gay penguins.

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

Arthur stares at the email for a few seconds, wondering how a break up with his girlfriend and having gay penguins merit mentioning in the same breath. And really, what is so ‘bad news’ about breaking up with Freya? Arthur never liked her much anyway, and it wasn’t because she monopolized all of Merlin’s ‘outside of work’ time, or the way they were unbearably cute together, or how she had insinuated herself so quickly and completely into Merlin’s life, or anything related at all to Arthur and his not-pining.

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: Bad News

Sorry to hear about Freya.

And how exactly do you know the penguins are gay? Are they singing show tunes?Have they suddenly developed an affinity for Barbara Streisand?

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

Arthur smiles at his own wittiness. He is settled into his morning routine, drinking his coffee, looking over reports when he notices another email in his inbox.

  
To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: Re: Bad News

  
It’s ok. It was mutual and I figured it was bound to happen anyway.  
And I think it was the rainbow sticker on the outside of their igloo that clued me in.

Prat

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

  
To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

 

Title: Re: Re: Re: Bad News

Well if it was mutual and you figured it was coming anyway….does that warrant the title of Bad News? That seems a bit overdramatic, doesn’t it?  
And really, do gay penguins qualify as ‘Bad News’ as well? It may be odd news, yes, but truly bad news would be if your penguins suddenly turned fluorescent green

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

  
To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: News that is Unfortunate and Totally Unrelated News that is Odd

Does my title suit your picky sensibilities now? Anyway, time for rounds.  
Meet for lunch? I can tell you all about my homosexual flightless birds and/or my new status as an unattached human male.

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: My Picky Sensibilities?

Lunch at the usual spot.  
And really Merlin, human? I thought we both knew better than that.

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

Next to lunches with Merlin and the occasional lion cub feeding, or rhino washing, or zebra grooming, rounds are Arthur’s favorite part of the day. He gets to wander around his area of the zoo, ensure all his animals are healthy and active, habitats are maintained and make sure his employees are doing what they’re supposed to be doing. He likens rounds to prowling around like a Big Lion On The Prowl as he gets to growl at people a bit, and inspect the safety of his Pride.

He has to admit that his staff is a pretty good lot and they actually don’t need much growling at to get their jobs done. Lance is in charge of all the maintenance needs and personal care of the animals and he runs a tight ship. He also pines after Gwen from Reptiles and Amphibians like Arthur does not pine after Merlin.

Arthur navigates the maze that is the ‘behind the scenes’ area of his section like he was born there, stopping to talk to Lance who is mending a section of the giraffe fence and pausing to note that the elephant enclosure needs a good shoveling (he’ll get that new intern Mordred to take care of it.) The zebras are munching away, having just been fed, and the hippos are relaxing in a large mud pit. Everything looks good so he heads over to his cats.

Everyone at the zoo has their favorite animals. For Gwen it is a boa namedRosa. She can often be seen talking to school groups and visitors withRosa draped across her shoulders. Lance loves a young giraffe named Moe whom he helped bring into this world, and sometimes Arthur has to yell at him for slipping Moe too many treats (Moe has gotten quite chubby). Merlin always says he loves all his animals equally but Arthur knows there is an Arctic hare (that everyone calls Merlin Jr for its ears) of which he is particularly fond. For Arthur, it’s Napoleon.

Napoleon is a very big, very crabby, very regal lion. Napoleon is also very old. He turned thirty a few months back which is _ancient_ considering most lions in the wild live to the ripe old age of sixteen. Napoleon came to the zoo from another zoo who didn’t appreciate the magnificence of a large cat sunning himself on a rock for hours on end then eating then going back to his rock for more hours.

Arthur thinks he’s brilliant.

Napoleon is just the type of animal Arthur would be if he were an animal. Well, Napoleon but gay. (Napoleon, despite being lazy as the day is long, has sired a ton of cubs). Thinking of gay animals has Arthur checking his watch to see if it was ‘lunch with Merlin’ time. It’s near enough so Arthur heads toward the concession stands.

It is a well-known zoo employee fact that the best corn dogs are from the concession stand next to the tropical bird aviary, which is very near Napoleon’s lair. (Arthur has a love/hate relationship with a certain parrot that someone taught to say ‘Arthur is a pretty bird.’) Merlin’s favorite lunch is two corndogs with a side of corndog and chili cheese fries. So Arthur orders ‘Merlin’s usual’ and heads toward their bench.

It is also a well known fact that the best pizza is located right next to the wolf pen, which is on Merlin’s way from the land of theArctic to their favored bench near the prairie dogs. Arthur’s favorite lunch is pepperoni pizza, breadsticks and a red slushy which Merlin courteously brings from his side of the zoo. (Sometimes they go wild and eat only popcorn and cotton candy but those days never end well.)

Arthur arrives early and settles on his part of the picnic bench, the prairie dogs popping in and out of their holes behind him. He sees Merlin from a long way off, somehow balancing pizza, breadsticks, red slushy and lemonade, while avoiding the children that run too close to his legs. Merlin is wearing nice slacks today and a button down, which means he has a lecture to do that afternoon, which also means the red slushy is in danger. It’s not that Merlin sets out to be clumsy but anything that can happen, usually does. It’s a good thing Gwen keeps a Merlin-sized dress shirt in her locker in the employee break room.

For all of Merlin’s quirks, he really is the truest friend Arthur has ever had. He is intelligent, thoughtful, humorous and oddly good looking, and he is approaching so Arthur averts his gaze so he is not caught staring. It’s hard because Merlin looks sharp in the dress clothes, and lean and pale as ever, his black hair complimenting the blue of his eyes and….

“Hey, Arthur!” Merlin says as he sets down the food without mishap. “How’s Napoleon?”

“Spry as ever,” Arthur responds with a smile.

Merlin grins and Arthur really can’t look away but the grin is different somehow, tighter, not quite reaching his eyes and Arthur wonders if the break up with Freya is affecting him more than he lets on.

“How’s Merlin Jr?”

Merlin rolls his eyes and passes Arthur the (intact!) red slushy. “You know that’s not its real name, right?”

“What is his real name then, _Mer_ lin?”

Merlin opens his mouth to respond then stops and snaps it shut. “That’s not the point.”

Arthur can’t help the laugh that bursts out at Merlin’s put upon expression. “You can’t remember, can you?”

“Yes, I can. It’s Clementine or something…anyway, the Arctic hare sometimes known as Merlin Jr is pregnant.”

“Dear God,” Arthur exclaims around mouthful of pepperoni and cheese, “what the hell is going on in theArctic? You’ve got sex-changing hares and gay penguins! What next, transvestite elephant seals?”

Merlin frowns at his corndog and Arthur is suddenly afraid that he has pushed too far.

“Did you remember the mustard?” Merlin asks, voice flat.

“Yeah,” Arthur digs around in his pocket and produces three packets of mustard, just like Merlin likes. They sit in silence for a moment, Merlin looking off in the distance. Arthur swallows around a lump in his throat that he hopes is pizza. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…”

Merlin waves him off. “It’s nothing. It’s…my department is about to be under a lot of scrutiny about the whole penguin thing and I’m not really looking forward to it. And as much as the Freya situation isn’t supposed to bother me…”

Arthur winces at his less than tactful handing of the matter earlier.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Merlin shrugs and bites into his corndog. “She wanted us to move in together. I told her I wasn’t ready. She got mad and we broke up. She said I wasn’t _invested_.” Merlin punctuates the ‘invested’ with air quotes that make the corndog in his hand flail wildly threatening both of their shirts with mustard.

“Ouch,” Arthur replies. “So…why weren’t you ready? You’ve been going awhile…”

Merlin looks off into the distance again and Arthur studies his profile, the sharp cheekbones, the line of his jaw, the curve of his ear….

“I think there’s someone else…out there…for me,” he blushes. “I know it sounds stupid but I mean I didn’t want to settle. I liked Freya a lot but it just, wasn’t there. You know?”

Arthur’s voice is hoarse. “Yeah.” He takes a sip of slushy.

They sit in silence for a while, enjoying the bustle of the zoo around them and eat their lunches. It isn’t until Merlin steals a piece of pepperoni and pops it in his mouth, his jaw working as he chews, that Arthur speaks again.

“So…” he draws out the word, “gay penguins.”

Merlin laughs and it is carefree and loud and draws attention, but Arthur is just glad to hear it.

“Yeah,” he confirms, “gay penguins.”

“Alright, start talking,” Arthur says. “Start with which ones they are and how you know they are of the homosexual persuasion.”

Merlin smiles and it is happy and wide, eyes crinkling. “It’s two Adelie penguins,Milo and Augustus. They…well…they have rejected all female advances. We even shoved Sophia at them!”

Merlin waves his hands around excitedly and Arthur bites his tongue despite really wanting to ask if Sophia is the equivalent of a penguin slut, because he likes watching Merlin when he gets passionate about a subject. His hands flap a bit and his eyes brighten and the chords in his long, graceful neck stand out and...

“And they spend all their time together,” Merlin continues, derailing Arthur's train of thought while the blush that had faded rises again in Merlin's cheeks and the tips of his ears. “And they bring food to each other.”

“Oh!” Arthur says, handing over the chili cheese fries, “forgot to give you these.”

Merlin takes them, considers them thoughtfully and the red deepens staining his pale skin the color of wine down his neck and up into his hairline. Arthur stares mesmerized before shaking himself and stealing a fry.

“Anything else?” Arthur asks.Merlin shakes his head.

“Not so far.”

“Well, that’s not so bad. They’re friends.” Arthur nudges Merlin hard in the shoulder causing cheese to drip on his shirt. “Like us!”

Merlin’s smile weakens then drops from his face altogether.“Friends. Like us,” he repeats.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   Sitting at the top of "Uther's All Time Parenting Backfires" is Arthur's fellow colleague and clumsy best friend - Merlin Emrys. Written for the kink_me prompt of: Arthur and Merlin as penguins, based on [this article](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/04/penguins.html) w/c is basically about 2 male penguins who paired off and raised an egg successfully.

 

To: [gsmithson@zooadmin.com](mailto:gsmithson@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Merlin…

has cheese on his shirt. Dr. Arthur Pendragon

Head of African Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [gsmithson@zooadmin.com](mailto:gsmithson@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: Merlin

On it.

Gwen Smithson  
Reptiles and Amphibians Assistant

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [gsmithson@zooadmin.com](mailto:gsmithson@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: Re: Merlin

Fixed! Took him a clean shirt.  
Was Merlin alright at lunch? I just talked to him and he seemed upset.

Gwen Smithson  
Reptiles and Amphibians Assistant

 

 

To: [gsmithson@zooadmin.com](mailto:gsmithson@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: Re: Re: Merlin

Oh. It’s probably because he and Freya broke up last night.  
And he has gay penguins.

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [gsmithson@zooadmin.com](mailto:gsmithson@zooadmin.com)Title: Re: Re: Re: Re: Merlin

No. That’s not it. I talked to him this morning and he was fine.  
He didn’t tell me about the gay penguins though.  
Rosa says ‘hi.'

Gwen Smithson  
Reptiles and Amphibians Assistant

 

  
To: [gsmithson@zooadmin.com](mailto:gsmithson@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Merlin

Huh. Don’t worry, Gwen. I’ll cheer him up.  
And Napoleon says ‘roar.’

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

  
To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Cheer up Emu!Look.Milo and Augustus aren’t the first!

<http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/04/penguins.html>

See? Gay penguins aren’t even that original.

You’re just following a trend.

Your penguins _are_ cuter though.

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.  
To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

 

 

Title: Happy as a Clam

Good to know where your loyalties lie, Arthur. I’ll letMilo and Augustus know they’ve won the gay penguin beauty pageant. They’ll be expecting tiaras.

Also, thanks for sending Gwen after me. Due to your diligence about the cleanliness of my shirts, the lecture went great.  
You’re a good friend.

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

  
To: [gsmithson@zooadmin.com](mailto:gsmithson@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Merlin

Mission accomplished.

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

OOO

Weeks pass without event. Merlin sends Arthur updates each day about his penguins (yep, still gay and now building a nest!) and they have their lunches together when their schedules allow. Lance still pines after Gwen and Gwen still walks around the park with a boa draped on her person and blushes when Lance talks to her. Arthur still is not pining but it is harder to keep it all in because Merlin is right there and unattached and Arthur wants nothing more than to grab him and clasp him tight and kiss him senseless. All in all it is a pretty normal few weeks at the zoo. Until two things happen at once.

Arthur comes in late, plops into his desk and curses the day automobiles were ever invented. If it weren’t for automobiles, there wouldn’t be traffic and if there was not traffic, there would not be a reason for Arthur to sit stationary for an hour on his way into work. It is flawed logic, he knows, but at this point, he doesn’t really care.

He checks his email and sees he has a new message from Merlin. It is titled: News of an Unimportant Nature so despite how much he wants to read it, he ignores it because he is so very late. He also knows that Merlin is on his rounds and any reply Arthur has will not be received until the later afternoon.

He breezes through the reports only stopping when he notices that Napoleon did not eat the day prior. It’s not an entirely rare occurrence, sometimes animals don’t eat for whatever reason, but it is Napoleon and he’s old and his routine is like clockwork so it makes Arthur pause. It throws him off for a moment and he goes through the previous days to make sure he hasn’t missed a similar event. Nothing is noted so the uneasy feeling is quelled for a moment and Arthur moves on. Once finished, he checks his watch and decides he has a quick minute to read Merlin’s email.

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: News of an Unimportant Nature

Freya called. She wants to try and work things out. I need to talk. Meet for lunch?

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

Arthur tries valiantly to ignore the sinking feeling in his chest and the constriction of his throat. He checks his watch again and makes a distraught noise.

He runs.

Merlin is waiting for him. He has a red slushy in one hand and a blue in the other. He is biting on the tip of his straw, brow furrowed in concentration while he stares off. Merlin is wearing khaki shorts, tattered converse and the zoo issued green polo shirt with the zoo logo on the pocket. His hair is damp, curling around his ears, tendrils of water snaking beneath his collar and Arthur has to swallow.

“Hey,” he says as he sits down and takes the offered red slushy. He attempts his normal light bantering tone, but it comes out low and throaty and the tiniest bit desperate.

“Hey,” Merlin replies.

“You’re wet."

Merlin’s lips curl into a small smile. “The seals were playful this morning.” He pauses for a minute, sucks on his straw, cheeks hallowing and Arthur has to shift away from him, and pull his stare to the prairie dogs. “How’s Napoleon?” Merlin asks.

Arthur shrugs. “Haven’t seen him yet today. Got in late. But he didn’t eat yesterday so…”

Merlin’s touch is light on Arthur’s shoulder and Arthur stills as he gives a gentle squeeze. It’s fleeting and Merlin pulls his hand away. “He’ll be fine.”

“How’s Merlin Jr?”

“She’s farther along than we thought. We’ll have leverets in a few weeks.”

“That’s good.”

They fall quiet and the silence isn’t awkward or familiar, it just is.

“Freya,” Merlin’s voice chokes, “called. She wants to get back together.”

“I read. At least she’s going after what she wants. It’s more than some people can say.”

Merlin nods.

“What…what are you going to do?” Arthur hates asking it but he has to know, maybe because he is a masochist, or maybe because he still wants a chance.

Merlin looks at him, really looks at him, blue eyes assessing before turning away.

“I’m going to go after what _I_ want,” he says quietly, resolved.

Arthur doesn’t know what that means and is too scared to ask so when lunch is over and they part ways, Arthur is perplexed and aching.

 

OOO

 

Napoleon is missing meals more frequently and has become even more sluggish than usual. Merlin’s penguins are trying to hatch an egg-shaped rock. Merlin Jr is getting fatter and preparing to have her babies. Merlin is aloof and busy and going in front of the zoo’s board of directors to help them decide what to do aboutMilo and Augustus. And Arthur…Arthur _is_ pining for Merlin and misses his friend, their easy laughter and their light banter and shared camaraderie.

He barely sees Merlin anymore and they only communicate through email. Arthur wonders if Merlin has gotten back with Freya and doesn’t want to tell Arthur for whatever reason. The other option is that Merlin has his eyes set on someone else, that he is pursuing what he wants and it isn’t Arthur. That thought, of losing Merlin to someone he doesn’t even know, _hurts_ , far more than Freya ever did.He’s going mad.

Sitting at his desk, every report of Napoleon not eating is staring him in the face, and he is unable to discern a pattern. There is no reason that he can see in the days and the information gathered from his workers of why and it scares Arthur because it all points to old age. He has called in the zoo veterinarian, an old man by the name of Gaius, and even after a cursory examination he can see nothing wrong other than that it might finally be Napoleon’s time.

It’s then, head in his hands, dragging his fingers through his hair, along his scalp, that he notices it. A rock is sitting on the edge of his desk. Normally, Arthur keeps his desk obsessively neat, but lately it has been a challenge with Napoleon’s declining health. So he doesn’t know how long it has gone overlooked. But it is there; a pebble, blue as ocean water, about the size of a large coin. He picks it up, feels the smooth surface, obviously from near a water source, hefts it in his palm and wonders who put it there and why.

He thinks about putting it in his pocket, about carrying the comforting weight, and allowing his fingers to curl around it when he is worried, upset (he had a worry stone when he was a child and wore the thing away by the time he was a teenager) but it seems a shame to put it where he can’t see it. He places it back on the edge of his desk and for the first time in days, he smiles.

It reminds him of the color of Merlin’s eyes.

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: M&A

How did the board meeting go? What have they decided?  
And did you leave a stone on my desk?

Time for lunch today?  
Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: M&AMeeting went ok. They want me to give the penguins a fertilized egg to see what happens.  
I have to prepare so no time for lunch. Rain check?

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Re: Re: M&A

Ah. Rain check then.  
Good luck with everything. Keep me posted.

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

Arthur tries not to sigh in disappointment.

He leaves for rounds and goes straight to the lion enclosure. Napoleon is sleeping on his rock, body stretched out in the sun, large mouth open, tongue lolling out between sharp teeth. He has lost weight. Arthur can see it in the baggy skin under his belly and around his flanks. His large mane is tousled and tangled and Arthur makes a note on his clipboard about him needing a good grooming. Some visitors are nearby, remarking about how the large lion is so _boring_ , complaining that they want to see him roar and stalk and Arthur thinks they need to move on to the primates if they want to see animals putting themselves on display. (Some of the monkeys also fling poo and Arthur thinks it might be terribly exciting if some got on the uneducated tourists.)

Some of the young lionesses are prowling around, and Napoleon’s often time mate, Draconia, licks at his paw as she passes. Napoleon rouses, nuzzles her neck, and she nips at his ear. It gives Arthur a little hope.

He meets with Lance who tells him about a suspect latch on one of the cages and Arthur puts in a repair order.

“Oh,” Arthur asks, “you didn’t put a rock on my desk, did you?”

Lance looks at him oddly. “No.”

The rest of the day passes without event.

OOO

 

The next day it’s raining buckets and there is another stone. This one is white with a pinkish hue and it is sitting next to the blue one like it belongs there. It too is worn, rounded and looks polished. The light reflects off the pale color and brings out the small vein of pink when he holds it under the light. It reminds him of Merlin’s skin in the sunlight, how if he gets too much sun he turns pink, or when he blushes, color rising in his cheeks. He wonders if Merlin feels the same way the pebble does, cool and porcelain smooth. He sets it back next to the blue one and absently wonders where they came from. It is only a fleeting thought because he has an email from Merlin.

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: Lions and Penguins and Bears

How’s Napoleon?

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Oh my!

Not well. How are things on your end?

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: Too Busy to See the Wizard  
I’m sorry to hear.  
Busy. I have two newspaper interviews today and a TV interview in a week about the penguins. I’ve had to take Merlin Jr out of her habitat and away from the others because she has been acting strange. There’s a broken pipe in the seals’ enclosure and they’re flooded. And it’s raining and I’ve forgotten my umbrella.

And I haven’t seen my best friend lately.

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com  
](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: My Flying Monkeys (are better than your flightless birds)Who knew gay penguins would cause so much trouble?  
Let’s meet tonight after work. If you can? Sounds like you need some de-stress time with the life of the party.  
Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: I Wish I had a Brain

Sounds good. Meet at 6.

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

Arthur’s smile is wide and butterflies erupt in his stomach. It is all he can do to make it through the day.

It is nearing six and Arthur is packing up, ready to meet Merlin. He is excited and for once, since Napoleon started declining, he is actually happy. He needs this, time away from the zoo, time with Merlin that isn’t punctuated with the laughs of children or the sounds of animals or the smell of prairie dogs. He thinks they’ll go to Merlin’s favorite place to eat (which Arthur will deny is his favorite also). It is not a date. It is something that they (used to) do occasionally after work but it doesn’t keep Arthur from running his fingers through his hair and checking his reflection in his computer monitor. As he does so, he gets another message from Merlin.

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: I’m sorry

Merlin Jr is having trouble. I’m sorry but I have to stay.  
We’ll reschedule for tomorrow.  
I’m sorry.

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

Arthur’s heart sinks and he slouches in his chair. He sees the pebbles, the blue that reminds him of Merlin’s eyes and the white that reminds him of Merlin’s skin. In a true show of childishness, he sweeps them off his desk onto his floor. He leaves and goes home without replying.

OOO 

When Arthur comes in the next morning, it is still raining and he knows it will be another day spent inside. He shakes off his umbrella at his office door and falls into his chair. Both pebbles are back onto his desk and added are two new ones. The first is jagged and the color of sand. It reminds Arthur of the prairie dogs. The second is green, the color of the horrid zoo issued polo shirts that they occasionally have to wear. (The only person that supposedly looks good in them is Lancelot and that is coming from Gwen so the opinion is suspect.)

Both are reminders of Merlin and Arthur is still disappointed and somewhat angry with Merlin, even though he knows it wasn’t Merlin’s fault that Clementine interrupted their plans. It is Merlin’s very nature to ensure his animals are well and Arthur wouldn’t like him if it were otherwise. Besides, Arthur would do the same thing if it was one of his so his anger is misplaced but it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

He checks his computer, and has no emails, and is about to settle into his reports when there is a knock on his door. Hardly anyone comes to his office (it is in the bowels of a building and has no windows, unlike Merlin’s who has a view of the whole Arctic).

“Come in,” Arthur calls.

The door opens and it is Merlin and all anger vanishes at the sight of him. He is haggard, rumpled and dripping.

“Did you forget your umbrella again?” Arthur teases; somewhat mesmerized by the way Merlin’s hair is flattened to his head, the rivulets of water streaming down his neck and how his shirt clings to his upper body like a second skin.

Merlin smiles wanly. “I didn’t go home.” His voice is hollow, tired.

Arthur stands to get something for Merlin to towel off with but Merlin moves toward him, crowds his space and it is then that Arthur can see that Merlin’s eyes are red, dark shadows beneath them, skin all too pale. Merlin comes closer, rests his forehead against Arthur’s shoulder and Arthur lets him wearily melt against him, wrapping a hand around his waist to steady him.

“I tried but by the time I realized what was happening, there was nothing I could do and I called Gaius but it was late and he didn’t get here quickly and…” he trails off.

“Merlin?” Arthur asks. “You’re not making any sense.”

Arthur slides his hand up Merlin’s back to rest on his neck and frowns at the clamminess of it. He rubs his thumb in slow circles, caressing the fine black hairs there.

"Merlin Jr…” Merlin whispers against Arthur’s neck, lips brushing against skin. “I couldn’t save her. Gaius said that there was nothing that could’ve been done but…”

Merlin’s shoulders start to shake.

“Oh, Merlin,” Arthur says, commiserate. “I’m so sorry.”

Arthur wraps him in a hug, pulls him closer. Merlin’s hands fist in Arthur’s shirt and he clings to him, pours out his grief in hot tears and gulping sobs. Arthur holds him, his clothes getting wet from rain and tears but it barely registers because all Arthur can think about is how Merlin feels in his arms, the weight of him against his chest, the damp, cool contrast of him against Arthur’s overheated skin, his breaths ghosting across Arthur’s collarbone. They are pressed together and it is all Arthur can do not to nose into Merlin’s hair, start kissing the curve of his ear but he comes back to himself when Merlin hiccups and he berates himself for even thinking of it while Merlin is grieving. Yet, he can’t help dropping a kiss to Merlin’s temple.

Merlin stills and slowly pulls away, wiping at his eyes with the heels of his hands.

“I’m sorry,” he says and it comes out throaty and raw.

“Don’t apologize.”

Merlin suddenly looks sheepish and ineffectually brushes at Arthur’s shoulder. “You’re all wet.”

Arthur shrugs. “It’s raining. No one will notice.”

Merlin nods, eyes drifting around Arthur’s office, until they settle on Arthur’s desk and more specifically, the random four pebbles that take up one corner. His red eyes widen for a moment before his gaze flickers back to Arthur.

And Arthur wants to ask, he wants to know, and realizes that Merlin never did answer if it was him but he bites his lip because it isn’t the time. Merlin is exhausted, swaying on his feet, and no matter how much he wants; Merlin comes first.

“Come on. I’ll take you home,” he offers.

“I can’t. Interview is on Monday and I’m not prepared.”

“You’re exhausted, Merlin. You can prepare over the weekend. Besides, I know you and every fact ever about gay penguins is probably already lodged between your over-large ears.”

Merlin half-smiles then acquiesces.

Arthur drapes his coat over Merlin and it swims on him, makes him look small and fragile but that may also be that Merlin is hunched over, posture bent, saddened by the loss of one small white bunny. With his hand at the small of Merlin’s back, he guides him out the door.

He takes Merlin home, makes sure he gets up to his apartment, comes in and makes him some calming tea while Merlin changes. They drink tea in the quiet and stillness of Merlin’s flat, surrounded by large books and clutter. Before Arthur leaves, he ensures that Merlin has everything he needs (a glass of water on the coffee table, the remote, the phone to call out for lunch and dinner if need be, a fluffy pillow and blanket on the couch and absolutely no access to either Animal Planet or National Geographic because it would be the one day they run a special on Arctic hares.) Merlin settles in, opens his mouth to say something (Arthur hopes it’s ‘stay’) but snaps it shut instead and lays his head on the pillow. His eyes are drooping when Arthur heads to the door.

“Thank you, Arthur,” Merlin sighs on the edge of sleep.

“You’re welcome,” he says back to the already dozing Merlin. He lets himself out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>   Sitting at the top of "Uther's All Time Parenting Backfires" is Arthur's fellow colleague and clumsy best friend - Merlin Emrys. Written for the kink_me prompt of: Arthur and Merlin as penguins, based on [this article](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/04/penguins.html) w/c is basically about 2 male penguins who paired off and raised an egg successfully.

Number four on “Uther Pendragon’s All Time Parenting Backfires,” is Arthur’s step-sister Morgana. At one point in Uther’s life, he decided to remarry and one of the requirements for the esteemed position as Uther’s second wife was to have a child that could act as a sibling to Arthur. He had picked Morgana’s mother because Morgana was a beautiful, well-behaved young woman. She had them utterly fooled.

 

Morgana was hell on wheels and she absolutely, completely loathed Arthur. The sentiment was mutual. They sniped at each other all through adolescence and even into adulthood. It wasn’t until they were older, both having completed schooling, Morgana in a stable relationship with Vivian and Arthur working at the zoo, that they put all animosity aside and became siblings. (The reason this is considered number 4 is that in the end it did all work out but the beginning was well and truly awful.)

 

And sometimes, Morgana’s brand of advice is what Arthur really needs.

 

He calls her, tells her everything and she laughs at him for a good twenty minutes and only when he threatens to hang up does she stop.

 

“Oh, Arthur,” she says into the phone, still chuckling, “if you were any blinder you’d be walking into walls.”

 

“What do you mean?” he demands.

 

“Merlin likes you. You’re the one he is waiting on.”

 

“I am? I thought he’d go back to Freya or someone else…”

 

“Oh, Arthur,” she sighs. “You spend copious amounts of time together, he rejected his ex-girlfriend and you bring each other food! How much more together can you get?”

 

Arthur furrows his brow. “I don’t…are you sure?”

 

Morgana snorts, unladylike and completely like her. “Positive. Look, has he done anything different lately? Any overt gestures?”

 

“Rocks,” Arthur breathes.

 

“Rocks? Arthur, if you aren’t going to take this seriously Vivian is waiting for me to…”

 

“I am serious,” he hisses quickly, not really wanting to hear the rest of that sentence. “Stones. Pebbles have been showing up on my desk.”

 

“What the hell does that mean? Is that some freaky zookeeper mating ritual?”

 

Arthur frowns. “I don’t know but I have an idea.”

 

“Finally,” she says and he can imagine her throwing up her hands.

 

Arthur hangs up the phone and immediately goes to his laptop. He pulls up Google and stops, debating on what to enter into the search engine. Lips pursed, he finally decides on typing in Pebbles and Courting. He clicks on the first website (http://blog.nus.edu.sg/lsm1303student2010/tag/courtship/), quickly scanning through the information about the Caribbean Reef Squid (as he spots the words massive orgy he slows for a moment). He winces at the amateurish writing and scrolls down and his breath catches in his throat.

 

There is an article on Penguins and pebbles and strange courting rituals and nest building and pebble presenting. (There is also a movie that Arthur quickly places in his Netflix queue for further research).

 

Arthur smiles, laughs giddily, insides fluttering, because bless Merlin and his weird courtship ways.

 

He was going after what he wanted albeit in an obscure and bizarre way.

 

And it was Arthur.

 

OOO

 

It is the day of Merlin’s big television interview. It is the day that Arthur is going to kiss Merlin within an inch of his life. It is Monday.

 

Arthur isn’t prone to whistling or any other kinds of happy nonsense especially on Mondays, but today is an exception. Gwen and Lance both give him odd looks as he passes the Reptile House where they are hovered together talking but he smiles and waves and continues to his office. Coffee in hand, he unlocks his door, hangs his coat and slides into his chair.

 

There is another stone; this one Pendragon red and it looks like the color of Arthur’s Interview Shirt ™.He has given his fair share of interviews, print, radio and television, and he always relies on a lucky shirt to make sure he doesn’t say or do anything stupid. It has held out so far. Merlin obviously knows this because Arthur made a big deal out of it one time when red slushy almost made it all over his red lucky shirt. Several other zoo employees also know because in Merlin’s language Arthur ‘made a big scene.’ So it only makes sense that on the day of Merlin’s big interview a red pebble is on his desk.

 

It sits with the others, in a circle, the beginnings of a penguin nest and Arthur smiles and thinks about all the things he’s going to do to Merlin once he gets him in his own nest…err…bed. He turns on his computer and immediately checks his email.

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: ask’nbalindponga!!!!!!

Interview today. Freaking out.  
Possibly hyperventilating. Do you have your lucky shirt?And thank you for Friday.  
Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: WTF Merlin?

Lucky shirt is safely ensconced in my closet at home. Away from

possible red slushy attacks.

Just Breathe. You’ll be fine.

And no thanks needed.

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
Title: I’m not a woman in labor!

Will you come? It’d be nice to have a friendly face in the crowd.

1:00, in front of the penguins.

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
Title: Breathing solves everything

I’ll be there. With Bells On.  
:)

Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: lying liar who lies

Please don’t. (I mean about the bells.)  
Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

Arthur smiles and daydreams, imagines standing in the crowd at Merlin’s interview, watching his best friend, soon to be boyfriend, answering questions and presenting about his cute gay penguins and then afterward, Merlin being on such a high, that he runs to Arthur wraps him a hug….no wait, Arthur goes to Merlin, wraps him in a hug, drags him to some secluded corner (maybe his office, he does have a couch) and then kisses him like his life depends on it. And he’ll kiss Merlin, long, slow, sweet, hands buried in Merlin’s dark hair, tongues caressing, sucking on that plump lower lip and…

 

There is a knock on his door and Arthur jerks in his chair.

 

“Come in,” he says voice rough. He clears his throat.

 

It’s Lance and he looks worried.

 

“It’s Napoleon.”

 

Arthur is out of his chair in an instant.

 

OOO

 

There are protocols for situations like this but Arthur is damned if he can remember them at the moment. Napoleon is stretched out on his rock, breathing rapid, occasionally letting out a low growl of pain. The other lions are pacing, stalking, know that something is terribly wrong. It is a good thing Lance is with him and puts a restraining hand on his shoulder before Arthur does something ill advised and rushes into the enclosure with a bunch of jumpy lions.

 

They round up some guys; manage to lure the rest of the pride into the adjoining cages with food, locking the heavy gates behind them, securing them behind interwoven steel and then Arthur runs in, dropping to his knees in the wet grass. He rests a tentative hand on the big cat’s torso, his rib cage expanding and contracting under Arthur’s palm, the fur warmed by the sun. Arthur’s heart constricts and he scratches Napoleon behind the ears, his fingernails dragging through the short, soft, tawny coat. Lance is right behind him, hovering.

 

“Call Gaius,” Arthur says quietly.

 

He hears Lance’s retreating footsteps and he calls over his shoulder to Gawain and Mordred who are standing nearby, both warily watching Draconia as she growls in her cage.

 

“Get the stretcher and prepare a tranquilizer.”

 

They both scurry away and leave Arthur alone.

 

“Oh Napoleon,” Arthur says quietly, “you can’t do this today. Please don’t do this today.”

 

Napoleon lifts his shaggy head, opens his eyes to slits and regards Arthur lazily.

 

“I was going to kiss Merlin today, Napoleon. I was going to kiss him until he couldn’t breathe, until he couldn’t even remember his name. And we were going to ride off into the sunset, have our happy ending, live happily ever after or whatever cliché we deemed fit. And it was going to be perfect but now…now…” his voice chokes and he wipes at his eyes. “So you better not ruin this for me by being anything other than your lazy, magnificent self. You got that?”

 

Napoleon sighs loudly, flops back down but keeps his eyes open and Arthur pets him.

 

“Good lion. Gaius will be here in a minute and we’ll fix you.”

 

Arthur hears Lance yelling across the way that Gaius has been contacted and on his way. Arthur also hears Gawain and Mordred announcing they have the stretcher and the sedative and Arthur stands, hoping that between the four of them they’ll be able to lift the large cat and make it to the back rooms.

 

He’s on his feet for two seconds before the friendly conversation between the other three men across the yard becomes frantic yelling, and before Arthur can even turn, can make out just what they are saying, he hears the echoing snap of a metal latch breaking, and he’s knocked to the ground hard, far harder than any tackle ever.

 

He can barely breathe, lungs aching to pull in the slightest air, and all he can register is the tan body above him, the fetid breath brushing across his cheek, the snap of iron jaws, the pain of claws digging into his skin. It hurts and it is fire across his chest, blood dripping from his shoulder, soaking his shirt, fear swelling within him as he tries to weakly push the lioness off and he knows he would scream if only he could breathe.

 

He’s going to die. He knows it, can feel it, and appreciates the irony that the culmination of Uther’s All Time Parenting Backfires ends with Arthur dying at his job, in the lion enclosure, without having told his best friend how he feels.

 

He hopes Merlin’s interview goes well.

 

And then suddenly, the weight of the very angry lioness is off of him, and he can finally, finally, pull in a breath and then he is scrambling backwards, good arm clawing in the savannah grass, feet sliding, furiously kicking to get away as swiftly as possible. He wants to yell because everything hurts, his shoulder, his arm, his ribs, but he bites his lip until it too is bleeding because Napoleon is standing, regal, beautiful, staring down his mate, a barrier between her and Arthur, and Arthur does not want to draw their attention.

 

There is a crack of gunfire and both lions stagger then go down, tranquilizer darts sticking from their hides and Lance is behind Arthur, steadying him, telling him things like “it’ll be alright,” and “guess we’re using the stretcher for you” and “damn faulty latch that was supposed to be fixed.”

 

It all floods in, the wail of sirens in the background, the hot sun baking him from above, the smell of animal fur, Lance’s arms holding him, the thick sticky blood that is running over his torso, down his arm, dripping onto the ground beside him, all of it, coupled with the adrenaline that is making him shake and the fear that had constricted his chest and the thought of death and never seeing Merlin again and….

 

Arthur passes out.

 

OOO

 

He comes to, slowly, disjointed, and despite every protest his body makes, pulls his leaden eyes open because he has to know what the hell happened. He is on a gurney, waiting to be loaded into an ambulance. He has so much gauze wrapped around him he looks like a mummy or someone that had been mauled by a lion. There is an oxygen mask over his face and he weakly pulls at it with his right hand as his left arm is bound so tightly he can barely move his fingers. It snaps off and Arthur is sure he will be admonished for removing it later.

 

Arthur thinks, maybe, that he has been given some drugs because the sky is purple and he really wants to laugh.

 

There is a commotion somewhere nearby and Arthur turns his head, carefully because things are spinning, and he sees Merlin breaking through the security line and running full tilt toward him. Merlin, with his button up untucked from his pants and his tie flapping behind him and his hair and eyes a little wild and with such a look of pure, unadulterated worry, it makes Arthur’s heart clench.

 

Then Merlin is there, babbling, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes and Arthur can only catch every other phrase and it’s confusing so he reaches up, cups Merlin’s cheek with his hand and smiles, loopy, lazy.

 

“I accept your pebbles,” Arthur says, a little bit slurred.

 

Merlin stills and his eyes widen.

 

“And I was going to kiss you today when you were done with the penguins.”

 

“Arthur,” he breathes, “are you alright?”

 

“Fine. Except that we’re not kissing and we should be.”

 

Merlin reddens and Arthur strokes the blush with his thumb.

 

“You’re delirious,” Merlin accuses as he forces a smile. Arthur knows it isn’t a real smile because Merlin’s eyes didn’t crinkle.

 

“That may be,” he admits, “but I still want to kiss you. I have, for a long time.”

 

Merlin smiles again and this time, Arthur can tell that it’s genuine, albeit a bit watery.

 

“When you’re better, Arthur,” Merlin says.

 

Arthur’s hand is heavy and he lets it drop back to the gurney.

 

“Promise?”

 

Merlin leans in, presses a kiss to Arthur’s forehead and Arthur lets his eyes drift shut.

 

“Promise. Now rest.”

 

Arthur doesn’t need to be told twice.

 

OOO

 

Merlin manages to push past both Morgana and Uther and visits Arthur in the hospital. Arthur is giddy and drugged and tries to pull Merlin into the bed with him but Merlin is a lot stronger than he looks and resists. It could be because Arthur’s arm is wrapped tight to his chest, immobile and painful. It’s a little mangled and he has staples and stitches and some small skin graphs and it will be scarred but it is ok because he’s alive.

 

They don’t talk about the pebbles and Arthur thinks it is due to his father hovering over them and making thinly veiled comments about Arthur’s strange zoo friends.

 

He is released fairly quickly for an animal mauling and convalesces at home with Morgana playing nursemaid….horribly. He bemoans the fact to Merlin in his daily emails.

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [kingprat@yahoo.com](mailto:kingprat@yahoo.com)

Title: Help me, PLEASE!  
Morgana is hell bent on killing me. Slowly. With soup. And poorly fluffed pillows.  
~ Arthur  
“If there is anything more important than my ego on this ship I want it caught and shot now.”

 

 

To: [kingprat@yahoo.com](mailto:kingprat@yahoo.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)

Title: Nice sig line

I’m sorry I haven’t been to visit. We’ve given the fertilized egg toMilo and Augustus and I have to keep a close eye. I’ve been more at the zoo than I have home.

Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [kingprat@yahoo.com](mailto:kingprat@yahoo.com)

Title: At least it’s not 42

I understand. How’d the interview go? I never asked. I was a little too out of it.

~ Arthur

“If there is anything more important than my ego on this ship I want it caught and shot now.”

 

 

To: [kingprat@yahoo.com](mailto:kingprat@yahoo.com)  
From: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
Title: So long and Thanks for All the Fish  
It didn’t happen. Gwen came and got me after…well, after and I sort of just ran away from the camera. They still did the story just without me in it. Preferable anyway.So if I do come and rescue the damsel in distress, do you want anything in particular? Or would finely fluffed pillows be fine?  
Dr. Merlin Emrys  
Head of Arctic Animals Dept.

 

 

To: [memrys@zooadmin.com](mailto:memrys@zooadmin.com)  
From: [kingprat@yahoo.com](mailto:kingprat@yahoo.com)

Title: I know a great restaurant at the End of the Universe

Merlin! I can’t believe you ditched your interview!

I am NOT a damsel and you need to work on your vocab my friend. “Finely fluffed pillows be fine?”

Just bring yourself and some non healthy food if you can tear yourself away from the absolute excitement of watching an egg incubate.

~ Arthur

“If there is anything more important than my ego on this ship I want it caught and shot now.”

 

OOO

 

Merlin shows up at his door that night with a red slushy and lukewarm pizza from the zoo. He sends Morgana away for the night, tells her to go sleep in her own bed (and Arthur adds maybe Vivian’s so she would stop being such a witch) and takes over Arthur’s care. He hands the food and drink over sheepishly and Arthur smiles at him, happy to see him, happy to have Merlin in the flesh in his apartment, alone.

 

“So,” Merlin says as he settles on the couch, “what have you been up to?”

 

Arthur sits beside him, the small sliver of couch between them feeling like a mile. He goes for a shrug then stops himself.

 

“Going insane. Morgana is awful.”

 

Merlin smiles. “So you said.”

 

Arthur situates himself and one handedly takes a bite of pizza. “Now this is food,” he says around a mouthful. “God, I’ve missed the zoo. The animals. The food. The people. Even the smell.”

 

“It misses you too, Arthur. Everyone does. It’s been pretty lonely by the prairie dogs without you. And I have to walk all the over to the other side of the zoo to get my lunch. It’s awful.”

 

Arthur chuckles. “Glad to know that now you appreciate that I brought you lunch.”

 

“I’ve always appreciated you, Arthur,” Merlin replies, quiet and sincere.

 

“Merlin,” Arthur says, shifting on the couch, brushing his knee against Merlin’s, pizza and slushy forgotten. He tentatively covers Merlin’s hand that is gripping the couch cushion with his own. “I’ve wanted to talk with you…”

 

Merlin grimaces then blurts, “I didn’t leave you the pebbles.”

 

Arthur flinches, snatches his hand back so fast it’s a blur then gasps as pain radiates up his bandaged arm and shoulder. It is nothing compared to the confusion and hurt and embarrassment that lances through his middle.

 

“It wasn’t…” Arthur breathes out and then he can’t breathe at all because it wasn’t Merlin and he thought that it was and he wanted it to be and he had gone so far to admit that he was pining and wasn’t not-pining and Merlin is sitting next to him and he can’t handle it and…

 

He stands abruptly and walks away, breath hitching, hand in his hair.

 

“Arthur?” Merlin stands too, trips over the coffee table, sends red slushy onto the white carpet and follows, babbling urgently. “It was Gwen! I told her that I wanted to do something to woo you or whatever and I wanted it to be big and elaborate but like you said the Arctic has been insane and I’ve been half expecting transvestite elephant seals and I didn’t have time and I told Gwen about the penguin mating rituals and then Merlin Jr died and I saw them on your desk and I thought there was someone else…and Arthur are you listening?”

 

Merlin grabs Arthur’s good arm, spins him around, pins him against the door and how they got to the door is anyone’s guess because Arthur has gone from devastated to elated in the span of thirty seconds and he can still hardly breathe. It’s like Draconia is sitting on his chest all over again except it’s not because Merlin is gripping his arm like a vice and crowding into his space and Arthur can see the blue of his eyes and the red of his lips and the absolutely fragile hopeful expression on his face.

 

“Arthur? Arthur? Say something. You’re scaring me.”

 

“Did you just say woo?”

 

Merlin exhales and almost melts and now it’s Arthur gripping Merlin’s arm.

 

“That’s what you got out of that?” he asks incredulous.

 

“I’m sorry. I just…I’m confused…happy but confused.”

 

Merlin manages a grin. “Gwen confessed to leaving the pebbles on your desk after I told her what you said to me when you were on the gurney. She said it was just to push me in the right direction.”

 

“And did it?” Arthur asks. “Push you, I mean, in the right direction.”

 

“Arthur,” Merlin says, stepping closer, “you’ve always been the right…”

 

And Arthur kisses him before Merlin can complete the cheesiest line in history. Merlin’s lips are how Arthur always thought they’d be but better, soft and warm and chapped from the cold, and they move against his synchronous, hungry, and Arthur gasps when Merlin’s tongue sweeps across the seam of his mouth. They kiss until Arthur’s knees are weak and his shoulder starts to protest and he groans in pain and from knowing they’ll have to stop.

 

Merlin pulls away, panting, his breath ghosting across Arthur’s swollen, tingling lips.

 

“I love gay penguins,” Arthur blurts.

 

Merlin giggles, breathy, bordering on hysterical. “Me too.”

 

OOO

 

In the end, it all works out for the best, Arthur thinks. His father has a story to tell his colleagues about how his son was mauled by a lion (though in Uther’s version Arthur was on safari and he wrestled the lion while managing to close a very important business deal. Arthur lets him have his fun.) Morgana goes home after Merlin begins to spend every night with Arthur anyway, and she gets tired of being the third wheel. She does approve of Merlin however and they learn this when she brings him chili cheese fries (she brings Arthur a salad and he scowls throughout the meal).

 

Arthur heals; a little scarred and with some limited range of motion, and returns to work. There is a big party on his day back and one of the first things he does is put a note on Lance’s desk signed by a secret admirer from Reptiles and Amphibians. If he notices it is in Arthur’s handwriting and has Merlin’s limited vocabulary he doesn’t say anything but Arthur notices later that Lance talks to Gwen and after, they’re both blushing.

 

Draconia is sent away to a wildlife preserve inAfrica that will be more suited to her temperament. Arthur debates on sending Napoleon as well but knows he would not survive the long trip. He’s right because a few days later Napoleon dies in his sleep with Arthur, Lance and Merlin by his side.

 

Milo and Augustus hatch the cutest penguin chick to ever walk the earth and Merlin names it Napoleon Jr., even though it is a girl. They are the best parents in the zoo.

 

Merlin and Arthur meet for lunch almost every day just as before. And just as before, they bring each other their favorites (and there still is the damn annoying parrot that mocks Arthur at every turn). The only change to their routine is occasionally, on days when the zoo has little visitors, they give the prairie dogs a show, and when Merlin pulls away, lips stained with red slushy, and grins, and Arthur grins back, expression fond, he thinks that yes, it did all work out in the end.

 

Merlin swoops back in, presses another quick kiss to Arthur’s lips, before jumping off the bench, stumbling a little.

 

“See you at home,” he says, and gives Arthur a suggestive wink.

 

Arthur rolls his eyes and heads back to his office. There are five pebbles on the corner of his desk with a tiny penguin figurine from the gift shop in the middle.

 

He sighs and fires off an email to Gwen.

  
To: [gsmithson@zooadmin.com](mailto:gsmithson@zooadmin.com)  
From: [apendragon@zooadmin.com](mailto:apendragon@zooadmin.com)

Title: Merlin….

has mustard on his shirt.  
Dr. Arthur Pendragon  
Head of African Animals Dept.

 

THE END

Hope you enjoyed it. comments are love :)


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